Once a person (person A) has passed their contact information (e.g. a telephone number or email address) to another person (person B), the recipient (person B) can continue to use that information if and when they wish and the person to whom the contact details relate (person A) has little or no control over any subsequent use of the details by the recipient (person B). Particularly in situations where the two people do not know each other well and where there is inherent uncertainty about future relations (e.g. newly established romantic liaisons, when selling or buying items online, etc.), a person may not want to share their contact information in perpetuity.
Existing solutions involve creation of a new “spam” email address to hide a person's main email address or purchasing a “burner” SIM card or mobile telephone. Whilst these solutions protect a person's main contact details, they have the disadvantage of suggesting a furtive manner in the relationship; they also add inconvenience because of the necessity to use a separate email account or mobile phone.
The embodiments described below are not limited to implementations which solve any or all of the disadvantages of known methods of managing contact information.